High speed traverse mechanism



Sept. 8, 1970 P. CONRAD HIGH SPEED TRAVERSE MECHANISM Original Filed Dec'. 19, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR: PETER CONRAD Sept. 8, 1970 P. CONRAD 3,527,422

HIGH SPEED TRAVERSE MECHANISM Original Filed Dec. 19, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR PETE-R CONRAD ATTORNEY.

"United States Patent 3,527,422 HIGH SPEED TRAVERSE MECHANISM Peter Conrad, Charlotte, N.C., assiguor to Celanese Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Continuation of application Ser. No. 602,667, Dec. 19, 1966. This application Dec. 31, 1968, Ser. No. 791,857 Int. Cl. B65h 54/30, 57/00 US. Cl. 242-43 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A traverse mechanism of the barrel cam and follower type, having a housing for the barrel cam, a pair of guide rails carried by the housing and disposed exteriorly of said barrel cam and a pair of guide rails disposed interiorly of said barrel cam and a rail traversing follower.

This application is a continuation of applicants copending application Ser. No. 602,667, filed Dec. 19, 1966, now abandoned.

This invention relates to traverse winding of yarn and more specifically to an improved barrel cam and follower mechanism suitable for high speed traverse winding of yarn.

The preparation of cylindrical packages of yarn by means of traverse winding apparatus is well-known in the textile art. Such packages are commonly built on a bobbin by passing yarn through a reciprocating guide onto a rotating package. When such packages are built at high speeds, it is readily apparent that it is necessary for the guides to reciprocate at high frequencies in order to build a satisfactory package. Rapidly reciprocating yarn guides however have proven to be a limiting factor in all textile yarn winding equipment. High frequency reciprocation of yarn guides involves an extremely rapid reversal of the direction of the kinetic energy of the guide at the points of stroke reversal. This rapid change in the direction of the kinetic energy produces extremely high momentary stresses in the guides and cam-followers, which after limited use will result in failure of the guide and cam-follower, through fatigue. Various attempts have been made to overcome the fatigue failure of the yarn guide and cam-follower and thereby increase the frequency of reciprocation of yarn traverse mechanisms. Such attempts have taken the form of miniaturization of the yarn guide and camfollowers so as to minimize the kinetic energy and thereby reduce the stresses occurring at points of stroke reversal. Miniaturization of the yarn guide and cam-follower however, requires that the traverse housing be mounted unduly close to the bobbin drive roll with the consequent disadvantage that any slight accumulation of yarn Waste on the bobbin drive roll can cause breakage of the reciprocating parts in the traverse and damage to the roll.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a yarn guide and cam-follower assembly which is of a substantially standard size and which provides adequate clearance between the traverse mechanism and the bobbin drive roll.

It is another object of this invention to provide a yarn guide and cam-follower in combination with a barrel cam wherein the momentary stresses occurring in the yarn guide and cam-follower at points of stroke reversal are lessened and controlled so that a continuous and prolonged operation at unusually high speed is possible.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a yarn guide and cam-follower assembly of enhanced wear and fatigue resistance by preparing the assembly from an organic polymeric resin which is reinforced with a dispersion of metal or ceramic whiskers.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a yarn guide and cam-follower assembly so constructed that the high forces transmitted from the cam to the assembly at points of reversal are applied at the center of the entire mass of the yarn guide and cam-follower assembly.

In accordance with this invention, it has now been discovered that an improved high speed traverse mechanism of the barrel cam and follower type may be obtained by equipping the assembly with inner traverse rails and outer traverse rails, said inner traverse rails and said outer traverse rails being designed to engage portions of the cam-follower mechanism, the cam and rail engaging portions being a unitary structure which also carries a yam guide assembly. It is preferable thatthe yarn guide and cam-follower assembly be prepared from a highly shock resistant material and still more preferably from an organic polymeric resin which is reinforced with ceramic whiskers or fibroids such as for instance, glass fibroids and sapphire fibroids.

A better understanding of the invention may be had from the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an end view of the cam and follower traverse mechanism of this invention and an associated package Winding mechanism.

FIG. 2 is a front partially phantom view taken in the direction of the arrow 2 of the cam and follower traverse mechanism of this invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional View taken along the line 3, 3 of the "cam and follower traverse mechanism of this invention.

FIG. 4 is a partially broken cross-section taken along the line 4, 4 of the cam and follower traverse mechanism of this invention. I

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the barrel cam, cam housing and guard rails assembly.

-FIG. 6 is a projected view of the cam follower and yarn guide.

FIG. 7 is a broken cross-section taken along the line 7, 7 of the helical groove of the barrel cam.

Turning to FIG. 1, a thread or yarn 1 passes downward through guide member 2 and around bobbin drive roll 3 which is rotatably supported on shaft 4 and is wound into a package 5 mounted on chuck 6. Thread guide 2 is caused to traverse across the face of roll 3 by reason of being an integral part of the cam follower which is driven by barrel cam assembly 10.

A better understanding of the barrel cam assembly may be had from FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings wherein it can be seen that barrel cam 11 is a sleeve, circular in cross-section and has a single continuous slot 12 disposed therein. Barrel cam 11 is secured to shaft 13 and through bushing assembly 15 by means of screw members 14. Bushing member 15 is stepped down at its terminal portions so as to accommodate housing end plates 16 which also carry slots 17 which serve as an inner pair of traverse rails. Slots 17 are preferably slots having a chamfered entrance portion to facilitate the ease of entry of the rail engaging portion of the cam follower. Housing end plates 16 are secured to barrel cam housing member 18 by means of screw members 19. As can be seen in FIG. 4 of the drawings, housing end plates 16 are fitted with ball bearing assemblies 23, with shaft member 13 being rotatably secured to the inner race of each of ball bearing assemblies 23. Housing member 18 has a rectangular opening in its face to which a pair of plate members 20 are secured by means of screw members 21. Plate members 20 serve as an exterior pair of traverse rails.

As previously mentioned, barrel cam member 11 has a single continuous slot 12 in its surface, the single continuous slot 12 extending entirely through the sleeve comprising barrel cam 11. The continuous slot 12 is generally helical, the deviation from this configuration occurring at the reversal angles which are very sharp. Where barrel cam 11 is in contact with bushing member 15, bushing member 15 is also grooved with groove 22, the configuration of groove 22 being illustrated in cross-section in FIG. 7 which is taken along the line 7, 7 of FIG. 4.

The disposition of continuous slot 12 through both faces of the sleeve comprising barrel cam 11 together with the grooving of the sleeve contacting portion of bushing member 15 allows a cam follower 30 of substantially H- shaped configuration to ride in slot 12. The positioning of cam-follower 30 in slot 12 of barrel cam 11 can be seen in FIG. 4. The H-shaped configuration of cam-follower 30 may be seen in the projected view set forth in FIG. 6. The cam and follower illustrated in FIG. 6 consists of a cylindrical cam-engaging portion 31 which is circular in cross-section and a rectangular shaped inner rail-engaging portion 32 at one end of said cylindrical cam engaging portion 31 and a second rectangularly shaped outer rail-engaging portion 33 positioned at the opposite end of cylindrical cam-engaging portion 31. Rectangularly shaped outer rail-engaging portion 33 also carries plate member 34. Plate member 34 is provided with a slot 35 for engaging the yarn line. Slot 35 and the center of mass of plate 34 are aligned with the axis of cylindrical portion 31. To ensure that the over-all center of the mass lies at mid-point of the cylindrical cam-engaging portion 31, adjustments may be made by increasing or decreasing the size and thereby the weight, of the rectangularly shaped inner and outer rail-engaging portions 32 and 33. The forward section of member 34 includes a pair of sloping surfaces 36 and 37 which act to cam or deflect a yarn lineup into the slot 35 when the apparatus is first strung up,

that is to say, slot is self-stringing. In this respect the angle which the surfaces 36 and 37 make with the top surface of plate member 34 should not exceed degrees if the guide is to be self-stringing. It is also preferable that slot 35 be lined with a ceramic or other highly abrasion resistant material and that the entire cam follower assembly 30 be made from a highly shock resistant material, such as, for instance, an organic polymeric resin having ceramic fibroids such as glass and zirconium fibroids disposed therein.

Cam follower 30 may be easily mounted in barrel cam 11 by removing end plates 20. After positioning cylindrical cam engaging portion 31 within slot 22, cam follower 30 is rotated so that the guide rail engaging members 32 and 33 are no longer aligned with slot 33. The cam follower 30 is then secured in this alignment by refastening plates 20. If desired, plates 20 may be spring loaded so as to facilitate rapid mounting of cam follower 30.

It should be understood that rectangularly shaped outer rail-engaging portion 33 and rectangularly shaped inner rail-engaging portion 32 may have rail engaging faces which are non-planar faces. The rail-engaging faces of rectangularly shaped portions 32 and 33 may for instance, have a V-shaped groove disposed therein or may have a wedge-shaped ridge disposed thereon. When the rail-engaging faces are other than fiat faces, it is obvious that the traverse rails must have a conforming configuration; that is to say, when the rail-engaging face has a wedge-shaped ridge disposed thereon, the rail must have a V-shaped groove disposed therein and conversely, when the rail-engaging face has a V-shaped groove disposed therein, the rail must have a conforming ridge disposed thereon. It should be understood that other shapes and proportions of the yarn guide and cam follower assemblies may be used with the hollow cam 11 and inner traverse rails 17. For instance, the cross-section of the cam-engaging portion 31 may be oval or rhomboidal and the inner and outer railengaging portions 32 and 33 may be of circular or oval cross-section.

The exact manner in which the yarn guide and follower assembly functions within the barrel cam assembly may he better seen in a discussion of FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings. In FIG. 2 yarn guide and cam follower 30 is shown riding in groove 12 which is illustrated in phantom. Yarn guide and follower assembly 30 is disposed between plate members 20 which form the exterior pair of traverse rails, yarn guide and cam follower assembly 30 which is at the point of reversal of the traverse cycle is also disposed within the slot 17 carried by end housing member 16, end housing member 16 being illustrated partially in phantom. When a cross-section of FIG. 2 is taken along the line 3, 3, it may be seen that rectangular portion 33 of yarn guide and cam follower assembly 30 is positioned within the outer pair of traverse rails formed by plate members 20 which the cylindrical section 31 of yarn guide and cam follower 30 is riding in the continuous slot 12 of barrel cam 11. As the yarn guide and cam follower assembly 30 is at the point of reversal of the traverse cycle, the rectangular portion 32 of yarn guide and cam follower assembly is also seated within slot 17 carried by end housing plate member 16. Slot 17 which forms an interior pair of traverse rails serves to minimize the stresses imposed upon yarn guide and cam follower 30 at the point of reversal of stroke. After the reversal of stroke has been achieved -'by yarn guide and cam follower assembly 30, rectangular portion 33 of yarn guide and cam follower assembly 30 continues to ride within the exterior traverse rails formed by plate members 20 while rectangular portion 32 of yarn guide and cam follower assembly 30 leaves the interior traverse rails formed by slot member 17 and passes through the slot 22 disposed in the bushing 15 which engages barrel cam 11. It is preferable that the interior traverse rails formed by slot member 17 be as long as possible and that the bushing which engages barrel cam 11, thereby interrupting the interior traverse rails, be as short as possible. The limiting feature as to the length of the traverse rails contained within the two housing end plates and the minimization of the width of bushing 15 is of course, the fact that sufficient rigidity must be given the structure by the sleeve supporting bushing. It should be understood of course, that the traverse reversal procedure is again repeated when yarn guide and cam follower assembly 30 reaches the opposite extremity of the traverse cycle; that is to say, both rectangular portions 33 and 32 of yarn guide and cam follower assembly 30 are again engaged with exterior and interior pairs of traverse rails.

The advantages secured by the use of an exterior and interior set of traverse rails and a cam follower which engages both the exterior and interior set traverse rails may be seen from the table which compares the barrel cam and follower traverse mechanism of this invention with the conventional exterior traverse rail barrel cam and follower traverse mechanism of the prior art.

Having thus disclosed the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a traverse mechanism of the barrel cam and follower type, a housing for said barrel cam, said housing encompassing said barrel cam and carrying a pair of guide rails disposed exteriorly of said barrel cam and a pair of guide rails disposed interiorly of said barrel cam, said barrel cam carrying a rail traversing cam follower having members suitable for engaging said exteriorly disposed guide rails and said interiorly disposed guide rails.

2. The traverse mechanism of claim 1 wherein said interiorly disposed guide rails are discontinuous guide rails, being positioned at both points of stroke reversal.

3. The traverse mechanism of claim 1 wherein said cam follower also carries a yarn guide.

4. The traverse mechanism of claim 1 wherein said cam follower carries a yarn guide which is a self-thread ing yarn guide.

5. A cam follower suitable for use with a barrel cam operated in conjunction with a pair of exteriorly disposed guide rails and a pair of interiorly disposed guide rails, said cam follower having a substantially cylindrically cam engaging portion and substantially rectangular guide rail engaging members disposed at either end of said cylindrical portion, the over-all center of mass of said cam follower lying at the midpoint of said cylindrical cam engaging portion.

6. The cam follower of claim 5 wherein one of said rectangular portions carries a yarn guide.

7. The cam follower of claim 5 wherein one of said rectangular portions carries a self'threading yarn guide.

8. The cam follower of claim 5 prepared from a polymeric organic resin reinforced with ceramic fibroids.

9. The cam follower of claim 5 wherein the guide rail engaging faces of said rectangular guide rail engaging members are substantially non-planar surfaces.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 15 STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 242-157, 158.3 

